The word rustic comes to mind when Food Network design director Wendy Waxman thinks of Giada De Laurentiis' simple yet elegant Italian dishes. For a tabletop inspired by Giada, Wendy decided to use a big farm table because it conjures up the thought of having a lot of people over. She found this particular table at a flea market, but any rustic wood table would work fine.
Watch the slideshow below and click on any of the smaller images for more detail. Information on the products Wendy used can be found at the bottom of the page.
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Play the slideshow below and watch as the table is set.
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Giada loves using fresh herbs and other seasonal ingredients, so Wendy topped each plate with fresh rosemary to enhance the table’s rustic feel.
Wendy decided on chocolate and white plates from Vietri, since Giada’s fresh Italian fare would look best on simple plates rather than ones with a heavy pattern. Wendy loves Italian decorative patterns, but these plates seemed more Giada.
To keep things from becoming too rustic, Wendy used frilly napkins with a ruffled edge from Barney’s to give the table an ethereal touch. To give it an additional layer, she used a fabric you wouldn’t expect to find on such a table. "Going too much in one direction makes it too involved," says Wendy.
Wendy used simple Match pewter flatware from Clio (92 Thompson St., NY, NY, 212-966-8991).
Wendy chose stemless Reidel glasses from Williams-Sonoma. They don’t go up too high, so you can see your guests better and there’s a slightly less chance of spilling. She decided against water glasses to keep the table simple and free of clutter.
Vintage pewter salt and pepper shakers from a local flea market add an antique accent to the table.
To move away from the rustic theme just a little bit, Wendy found a runner from Laos at ABC Carpet. She saw it as a little surprise -–it still goes, but you don’t always want to just focus on one type of design since who has everything from one place? "That’s the fun of it," Wendy says. "To give everything a little twist and a turn, kind of like when you get dressed. You don’t like to wear things all from one department."
Giada loves her little cutting boards, so Wendy found a collection of small cutting boards at a flea market that can be topped with bread. She paired them with little wooden bowls which she used to hold up vintage Moroccan spoons. You could put olives, nuts, butter, or even salt and pepper in them and use the spoons for sprinkling.
Wendy used cream colored votives on cutting boards to hold the melted wax. For safety, you could put them in glass containers, though she preferred them out. Once they’re lit, put them in small glass holders.
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